Differential driving-gear.



FATENTED oCT.`ao, 190s.

' L. E. HOFFMAN.

DIFFERENTIAL DRIVING GEAR. APPLICATION I ILBD JULY 29. 190?.

@foi human STATESPATENT LoUIs E. HOFFMAN, F CLEVELAND, OHIO. l' DIFFERENTIAL DRIVING-GEAR.

specification Letsel-s ramt. v

ratentedoctso, 190e.l

Applaus n.4 Vmy as, 190s.' as.: no. 1euro.

To all whom may concern: I i

Be it knc fn that I, LoUrs E. HOFFMAN, a

citizen Aof the lUnited States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahcga and useful State of Ohio, have invented new an Improvements in Differential Driving-Gears, of which the following is a specification.

invention relates particularly to differential driving-gears for automobiles, -said gearA being mounted upon the rear or driving to .allow the traction-wheels axle and actirg erent speeds necessary when to turn at di the vehicle turns a curve.

The ob'ect of the invention is to provide an improve be for the planetary or equalizing ear-whee` and means for-adjusting those arings to keep the differential gear in proper alinement with respect to the main` ax es.

Heretofore it has been customary to mount i the differential orlplanetary gear wheel or casing u on bearin on the main drivingaxle, an this has t e'ob'jection that as the bearings' become worn the differential will become crowded or 'moved sidewise, particularly where there is a bevel-drive, thus throwthe differential out of alinement. and

. makin a loose connection at the bevel-gearing. y invention avoids these defects by mounting the differential on bearings in the inclosing jacket or housing. .instead o f on This construction has:

bearings on the axle. the further advantage that the differential is supported independently in the housing .and

the mam axles can be removed and inserted without disturbing the differential. Also the bearings of the differential can be tightened or adjustedto take up wear.

l In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an embodiment of my invention and Fig. 2 is a cross-,section on l the line 2 2 orig. 1.

indicates t e housin gearing and bearings to Justed, ashereinafter exp Refe s eclcall to the drawings' 6 l1 p ywhich contains the differential gearin andthe upper half 1s removable to enable the be got at and adlaine'd; The main axles which carry the traction-wheels are in-l .dicated at 7, and upon their squared ends are fitted the spur-gears 8. '111e differential gear-casing is Indicated at 9.l incloses said spur-wheels and can-ies pinions 10 in mesh therewith, and upon the outside of this gear-casingisabeve gear- 11,meshing with the driving-pinion 12. ese parts his housing is split,.

v are old and are believed to require no further description. 'It will be understood -v that when the gear-casing is rotated it will drive the axles, while permitting the differential movement thereof curve.

6o yincident to turning a Instead of finding its bearings upon thev hubs of the spurears or uponthe mam axles,

as heretofore, t e planetary'gear-casing is provided by me with bearings upon the housmg. To effect this, projectin hubs'13 arel secured to the casing 9, and t e axle 7 extends through these h ubs at an easy fit. The hubs may be formed integral with the casing 9, if desired. Up'on the outside of these-hubs are bearing the hubs are threaded to receive adjustingnuts 15, between which is a washer 16.

17 imii'mtes bearing'cu or rings which' cones or rings 14, behind which are stepped into the housing 6, and the bearof the axle, comprising anut 21, screwed into the box 20, a cup 22, carried bly the nut, a cone 23,'fast in the axle, and rolers 24 between. The nut is held by a screw at 2,5.

lIt will be seen that the gear wheel or casing 9 finds its bearings inthe housing instead of upon the axles and the housing takes the thrust incident to the bevel-drive instead of causing Awear upon the axles and-co uent loose contact with the driving-pinion as eretofore. Bymeans 'of the nuts 15 ings are..adjustable to take u all wear and to kee the differential in ect alinement with t e plldes. To get-at the ar for the urpose o justment it is sim ynecessary 0 take off the upper hilf of thelrousillg' and loo to. hold the cup 17 in place when this is done a strap26 is used. This is bolted to the lower half of the housing and extends 'around over the cup.

RemovalV of .the 'axleswithout unshipping'fthe differential may bev readilyand los I quick-ly performed by takmgout the nut 21 after which the whole axle' may be slip out endwise, withdra from the spurgear and leaving thefwho e diferentialgear' suspended in its own in thehou'smg no l the bear- 95 vIt is obvious' that the invention is not linifited to the particular form oie-differential gearing herein shown, nor otherwise than l`1s expressed in the following claims: `What Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, 1s- -I l l -1v. The combination with a housing, and a dlfferential gear supported 1n bearings thereon,.of axle-sections extendmg lnto the housporting-bearings for the mechanism, and lthrust-bearings Within the housing and upon zio the axle-sections at the outer ends thereof,

preventing outward endwise movement of the axle-sections.

3. The vcombination ywith a differential gear, and axle-sections removable therefrom, of a housinghaving bearings sustaining the ygear, and bearing-boxes at the outer ends of -the axle', and conical bearings'in the boxes,

preventingendwise movement of the axle.

tatable ynsaid tubes and in the differential drum, gears loosely mounted on the inner ends of said axle-sections, permitting free endwise 'removal or withdrawal of the sections from the gears, pinions carried onsaid differential drum and ferred to, and means for rotating said drum.

5. Theunbination of a split housing, bearingerings set therein, straps secured at their ends to one' part of the housing and extending'over the rings to hold the same in place, adifl'erential mechanism in the hous- 111g having its bearings on said rings, and axle-sections engaged with the differential mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. LOUIS E. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses z JOHN A. BOMMHARDT, LorTIE NEWBURN.y

engaging the gears re-` 

